Where you from on the boot?

There's an episode during season 1 of The Sopranos, during which Tony Soprano asks his therapist, Dr. Melfi: "Honey, where you from on the boot?" As it turns out, they're both from Campania, the "state" or "region" where Naples is located! During the conversation, Tony confesses he's from Avellino.

As I was walking down to the market last Friday, I decided to go a different route, through a park that neither I nor the LT had ever been to before. I assumed that it would be fairly overgrown and neglected, but at least a shorter route down to the porto and one where I wouldn't have to fight traffic on foot! While it was, indeed, a better route, I couldn't have been more wrong about its condition! After descending a few steps down into the gated off area, visitors are met with bushes trimmed to spell "Villa Avellino."

Obviously a historical site by way of the archeological finds and its probable connection to the Temple of Neptune located on the hillside above the park, not much info seems to be available on the Villa. Well, at least not any in English, that I can find & understand! However, the beautifully planned gardens of the park are a nice alternative to the hustle & bustle up on the street-level.


Since the LT and I are apartment-dwellers once again, I'm thinking of using this beautiful park for a lawn party for our friends in the area! Besides the bocce ball and croquet sets, no summer Italian picnic could be complete without a prosecco-melon sparkler and definitely my new cold antipasti-salad! What are YOU bringing to your summer parties?

Prosecco-Melon Sparkler:

-Approx. 36 oz. assorted melon pieces (Use a melon-baller scoop to mimic the shape of the prosecco bubbles)
-2 cups melon-flavored vodka (such as Smirnoff Twist of Watermelon)
-1/2 cup melon liquor (such as Midori)
-1 chilly bottle of Prosecco

Macerate melon balls in vodka for 3-4 hours. Drain well, reserving liquid. Mix reserved liquid with liquor and prosecco. Place 2-3 melon balls in each champagne glass, then add prosecco mix. Can also be garnished with fresh mint (especially since I have some growing in my new window boxes now!)

Cold Anti-Pasti Salad:

-1 lb. pasta
-1 large or 2 small Italian eggplants (the long skinny ones)
-1 medium-sized purple onion
-1 large red bell pepper
-4 cloves garlic
-1/4c sun dried tomatoes in oil (more, if desired)
-1 T Italian seasoning
-1 T dried rosemary
-1/4-1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
-1 T salt
-1 T pepper

Cook approximately 1 pound of your favorite pasta shape, drain (our house prefers penne or farfalle). On the stovetop, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, peppers, onion and garlic then sprinkle with Italian seasoning, rosemary, salt & pepper. Monitor to ensure vegetables to not stick to pan, add additional oil if necessary. Allow to cook until onions are translucent and eggplants/peppers are fork tender. Add everything in pan (including cooked veggies & any leftover oil) to pasta, along with sun-dried tomatoes & oil. Mix well, allow to come to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight. Nom, nom, nom!!

La Dolce Vita

So, yes, it's been quite awhile! And... A LOT has happened... In brief:
The LT came home safely from Afghanistan, was promptly sent to Italy for the next tour of duty and, oh yeah, we got married & honeymooned in the UK!! It's been a whirlwind since the last blog posting, but now that I'm officially a "domestic goddess," I'm definitely hoping to dedicate more time to Navy Beans. Since I'm living la dolce vita these days, there's definitely a LOT to blog about. Plus, with the little bro out blogging in California all summer, I can't let him get a leg up on my adventures!


So, let's see... Where, oh where to begin? Well, today, I wandered around in the Pozzuoli market! It's really an amazing place. Held near the "porto," or "port," this outdoor market is full of fresh produce, cheeses and, of course, seafood! Literally every kind of seafood you can imagine and it's mostly all alive and waiting to be taken home. In fact, many of the fishermen pull into the marina and just sell the spoils of the sea out of buckets on the backs of their boats. I even saw one guy hold the bottom of a live octopus and pull the entire skin right off, discarding it into the water for an anxious customer.


Wandering the aisles of the market, though, there's much more diversity... GIANT swordfish being cut into steaks, mollusks of every shape, size & color combination imaginable, and squid/octopus practically begging to be popped into the frying pan. Each and every stall has a man with a giant knife yelling "Signora, signora! Pesci! Pesci!" It's not frightening (well, maybe for the fish, or "pesci"), but it's definitely overwhelming! Yes, even for a girl raised on every kind of seafood you can cull from river, bayous, streams, sleus, and the Gulf of Mexico!


My favorite part of the market, though, is the aisle of produce, cheese and salted meat stands. After two visits, I've already got "a lady" who I go to every time for my fruits & veggies. She is obviously somebody's "nonna," or, "grandmother." Today I was choosing from her eggplant, perfectly ripened San Marzano tomatoes, onions, red bell peppers and, by her suggestion, the most plump and color-saturated cherries I've ever seen. Unfortunately, I had worn a less-than-flattering, but very cool on this hot summer day, dress that prompted her to rub my belly and saw something about a "bambino!" I told her no, no bambino, I just love to eat!

The Italians (and probably all of the Europeans, actually) don't spray and wax their produce here like in the states and, while it doesn't last as long, it's even more beautiful than the produce section at a Whole Foods Market! I know that sounds impossible, but the color and variety mixed with the personalities of each vendor make for such an animated experience. It reminds of the sari shops that I loved so much in India... A thousand colors and patterns so beautiful that they burn your eyes a little, friendly faces and a glimpse into a lifestyle that has existed for thousands of years.

Yes, all of that, just by walking to the market this morning.

Bad blogger seeks schnitzel & forgiveness!

My sincerest apologies that there hasn’t been a Navy Beans blog post in… weeks! A hectic work schedule and a trip to Europe kept me a little occupied, but I’m back in action & looking forward to showing off all of the yummy things I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing these last few weeks!

As you probably already know, I’ve just returned from 2 very full weeks in Europe with the Lieutenant! He had some R&R and we seized the opportunity (read: direct flights to Frankfurt!) to check out Germany and France. Lucky for us, LT speaks a little German and I speak a little Français, so finding a good meal was super simple everywhere we went!

We started off in Frankfurt, but quickly headed out of town on the “Romantic Road” to Bavaria. It’s called such because this off-the-beaten-path road winds its way through little villages with beautiful churches and gorgeous scenery. It truly is very romantic! One of our stops was in the town of Rothenberg and we had no idea what wonders it would hold!

Rothenberg ob der Tauber is the official name, as it overlooks the Tauber River. It’s a medieval enclave that was first begun in the 900s AD. A walled fortress, Rothenberg is now home to precious shops, museums and a bustling café life. We fell in love with this gorgeous town immediately and its here that we had our first “authentic” German meal!

Rothenberg is home to a sweet treat known as Schneeballen, which translates to “snowball.” These little delicacies are strips of pastry rolled into a ball, fried and covered with powdered snow, hence the moniker “schneeballen!” However, while this is a regional specialty, we sat down for something that is associated with Germany the world over… Weinerschnitzel!

Now, Americans are familiar with the word weinerschnitzel because of a relatively popular hot dog fast food chain that bears the same name. However, a weinerschnitzel is most certainly not a hot dog! Normally it simply refers to a veal (or other pure meat) cutlet that is sans bones and fried. In Rothenberg we tried ours “cordon bleu” style, stuffed with ham and cheese before being deep fried. Delicious and a great intro to German food (especially since I wasn’t expecting very much at all!).

Interested in whipping up your own schnitzel? Below’s a recipe that I’ve concocted to fit even the most discerning Southern pallet. Oh, and did you know that the American favorite known as “chicken-fried steak” is likely a descendent of schnitzel recipes brought by German immigrants in the 19th century! Interesting! Sehr gut!
Weinerschnitzel

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds pork cutlets
1 c. flour
3 large eggs
2 c. dry bread crumbs (finely processed)
3 t. extra virgin olive oil
3 t. butter
1 lemon
2 T. Tony Cachere’s seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste

Divide pork into 4 equal serving portions & pound thin. Lightly beat eggs. Place flour, eggs & bread crumbs in individual shallow dishes. Lightly season cutlets with Tony Cachere’s seasoning (I prefer the low-salt variety). Dredge cutlets in flour, shaking off the excess. Then dredge cutlets in egg and lastly in bread crumbs.
Heat oil in large skillet, add butter. Keep heating butter & oil until any foam dissipates. Add 1 cutlet at a time to pan and brown on both sides approx. 3-4 minutes. Line a plate with paper towels & transfer cutlets to cool.

Note: to keep your schnitzel warm, place plate in a 200˚ oven. Do not cover with foil as this will cause a soggy schnitzel! To cordon bleu your schnitzel, place 1 slice of ham and one thin slice of Gruyere cheese on the cutlet before dredging in anything. Roll cutlet around ham & cheese and secure with a tooth pick, dredge and follow frying directions!

Well, that's fishy...

Today my dear friend Kristina was featured on the Whole Foods Market blog for her story on the Great American Seafood Cookoff in New Orleans last month. You can check it out here. I was able to experience the GASC, too, and it was an absolute blast! As you can see, I made a cold-blooded friend or two! The event highlighted the talents of chefs from all over the nation who were either nominated to the competition by the Governor of their state, or gained entry through a statewide competition. You can find recipes and more from GASC here. Congratulations to Chef Tory McPhail of Commander's Palace in New Orleans, for taking home the top prize!

While I'm not necessarily big into boiling, grilling or baking little Clafoutis (pictured with me above), I most certainly enjoy great seafood! That's why today I'm featuring a recipe from another good friend, who just also happens to be one of the most knowledgeable people I know when it comes to seafood! If you're interested in attending one of his seafood cooking classes in the Baton Rouge area, please let me know. The classes are free, but he's so popular that they book up a minimum of 2 weeks in advance. Below is his recipe for Fish Tacos to, hopefully, entice you to come on by!

Fish Tacos

William Spiers

08.25.09

Serves 4-6

Fish Fry:

2 lbs. mahi mahi (skinned, boned & cleaned... your local Whole Foods Market will do this for FREE!!) cut into 1 oz. strips

2 c. all-purpose flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten

4 T. water

2 c. crushed blue tortilla chips

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Tortillas or Tacos of your choice

Slaw:

4 c. shredded green cabbage

1/2 large red bell pepper sliced thinly

1 c. frozen corn (thawed & dried with a towel)

1/4 c. green onions

1 t. orange zest

3 T. lemon juice

3 T. lime juice

1 c. plain yogurt

2 t. sugar

salt & pepper to taste

Fish:

Set up breading station & fry fish until just done.

Set aside until ready to assemble tacos.

Dressing:

Mix last six ingredients (orange zest-s&p) together and all other ingredients together separately. Let wet ingredients sit for 30 minutes, stirring twice, then mix well with cabbage mixture. Assemble tacos, fish first & top with slaw.

Bon appetit!

These boots were made for... fashion...

Today I'm focused on all things Western, which is a bit of a stretch for me. Yet, not really considering I am a Dallas Cowboys fan and the biggest trend in fall fashion this year just happens to be cowboy boots. So, of course, I just had to pick some up! Well, to know me, is to know that I don't just get the trendy boots, I want boots that can walk me into any ole honky tonk and avoid being called a "city slicker!" Again, a stretch, considering I'll likely never actually be caught dead within spitting distance of a "honky tonk" (nor would I ever spit!), but you get the picture: I don't want to mock the heritage of the cowboy... Or, paniolo, as it is for my friends in Hawai'i! Well, in addition to the fabulous pumps I referenced yesterday, I've also just recently acquired a pair of fantastic looking Ariat boots, which just so happen to be totally legitimate cowboy boots! In fact, two delivery men at my aunt's house out in the country saw them today and asked "so, you ride?" Of course, my answer was "in my car!" They might not have been impressed with my answer, but they were impressed with the boots!

Nonetheless, when I think western I think about the delicious food that virtually hollers "home on the range." Nothing does so more than cornbread. Below is a great fast & easy recipe from my friend Erinn, for a spin on plain ole boxed Jiffy. Plus, it contains quite a bit of protein with the addition of cottage cheese and even a serving of veggies courtesy of the broccoli. It would be so delicious alongside some good, sloppy blackeyed peas & brisket!

2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 ½ sticks margarine, melted
10 oz. frozen chopped broccoli
12 oz. small curd cottage cheese
½ or ¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs

Melt margarine. Combine all ingredients and mix. Bake in a well-greased skillet at 350 degrees for approximately 50 minutes.

Enjoy, y'all!

Lazy Sundays

I think I'll let someone else do all of the work for me on Sundays from now on, so, I'll be putting up links to some of my favorite foodie sites in between napping... and shopping, of course! In fact, the fabulous purple suede pin-up pumps that I picked up this weekend are the color of a perfectly plump eggplant and had me thinking... veggies! Or, legumes, as the French would say. Although, I'm hoping the Parisians think more than legumes when I break them out on the Champs next month! At any rate, they reminded me of a great vegetable lo mein recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market. Did you know that you can subscribe to @WholeRecipes on Twitter and get great ideas all of the time! Click here for the recipe.

The great thing about this particular lo mein is that it comes from Chef Ann Cooper, aka: "The Renegade Lunch Lady." If you haven't heard of her before, click here to visit her site. She's a one-woman revolutionary bent on improving school lunch fare in this country. It's amazing how many healthcare problems could be solved, maybe even eliminated, by improving what America's kiddos consume. Did you know that in many schools, ketchup is considered a serving of "vegetables?!" Do you know what's in ketchup? A lot of sodium and a ton of sugar by way of high fructose corn syrup! That's not to mention the additional artificial flavorings and red dye #40!

I once dated a guy who had been an incredibly hyper child. His mother had eliminated all sweets from his diet, yet still he was like the energizer bunny. Unfortunately he wasn't all that energetic by the time I dated him, but that's another story for another day! Anyway, his mother finally took him to the doctor in hopes of learning where the sugar rush was originating. The doctor was puzzled, as well, until she mentioned that he liked to put ketchup on everything. Problem solved... Well, problem identified, at least.

Chef Philippe says all of the time that we need to "bring families back to the table" and he's right! Early on-set diabetes, childhood obesity, food allergies... the list goes on & on and it can all be prevented in most instances just by teaching our children to develop healthy eating habits early! Childhood obesity is a platform that I've recently taken on both personally and professionally. I am constantly amazed at how food has become a tool that some parents use to entertain, appease and even punish their kids. What a shame! Oh, if only we all learned to enjoy good food & fun exercise and then passed that on to our future generations. I encourage you to join Chef Ann and The Lunchbox Revolution. Click here for 10 easy steps to start!

When I meet Paris...

I want to be dazzling. There's a song from the musical Evita (Rainbow High) in which Evita sings:

"Christian Dior me from my head to my toes! I need to be dazzling, I want to be Rainbow High!They must have excitement, and so must I!"

Two weeks from tonight, I'll be on my way to Europe. It's a journey I've dreamed of all my life. I collect Eiffel Towers and have them in glass, bronze, iron, you name it. I have socks with Eiffel Towers stitched on them, towels with the same. I have stationary, stamps, plates, books, tissues, practically everything that can possibly bear the image of Le Tour. And, in fact, because I've been fortunate enough to travel all over the world, to some pretty exotic locales, most people think I've been to Paris at least more than once. Unfortunately, I've never made it and, as of today I'm glad I've never hopped the pond before. Why? Because after a week in the Alps, I'm not only getting to experience Paris for the first time, I'm flying into Charles de Gaulle with the man of my dreams and I'm simply thrilled! Can you tell?

So, in the spirit of Rainbow High, tonight I'm listening to Edith Piaf and working on a spreadsheet of clothes & shoes that I'll need to pack. Yes, I'll admit it's a little OCD of me, but it's how I roll, er, fly! At any rate, trying to figure out what I want to be wearing when I meet Paris reminded me of how often important it is to make a great impression with food. There are lots of times when someone special comes to dinner and, if you're like me, you sweat... nix that... you glisten over what to wear, flowers for the table and, most importantly, what to prepare for your guest. I'd suggest the following recipe that I learned this week, served alongside a classic ratatouille:

Pork Tenderloin with Bleu Cheese Sauce
Chef Philippe Parola
August 19, 2009

Drizzle 2-3 ounces of Pecan Oil into grill pan set on medium heat until buerre noisette is reached. Add an additional 1 ounce of butter. Sprinkle Tony Cachere’s on each side of pork loin while pan is heating up & then place in pan. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side until firm to the touch. Do no overcook! Sprinkle bleu cheese crumbles over meat and add approx. 3 ounces heavy cream. Let simmer 3-4 minutes, remove from heat & garnish with additional cheese crumbles.

Rustic Ratatouille

Coat bottom of large saucepot on medium heat with extra virgin olive oil. Add ¼ onion, diced and 1 clove of garlic, diced. Always add garlic second! While onions & garlic are cooking, peel 2 medium-sized tomatoes and dice. Add tomatoes to pot & continue to simmer. Dice 1 medium zucchini squash and ¼ medium yellow squash and add both to pot. Sprinkle with Tony’s, “to taste!” Add approx. ¼ cup of water and cover. Simmer 3-4 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.

P.S. If you have suggestions for great restaurants in the City of Lights, pass them along! Merci beaucoup!